


six steps in when i fell into you

by SpoopyJim



Series: Twenty Øne Piløts [11]
Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Cute but in a dark way, Gay Panic, Graphic Description, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Lowercase, M/M, Metaphors, Poetic Sex, Self-Harm, Song Lyrics, Song fic, They get in a band dw, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23901946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpoopyJim/pseuds/SpoopyJim
Summary: one last kiss, i love you like a broken pot.one last kiss, i love you like a pack of dogs.one last kiss, i need you like i need a gaping head wound.or, the twenty blocks walked between two strangers.
Relationships: Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Series: Twenty Øne Piløts [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1723666
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. If Looks Gave Heart Attacks

**Author's Note:**

> The song is I Love You Like An Alcoholic by The Taxpayers. The first verse is this fic, and Josh's perspective. The second verse is Tyler's perspective, and the next chapter.
> 
> Just an idea I had because I'm fixated on Twenty One Pilots, and this song is really good.
> 
> Idk if I'd continue this universe, but

it’s humid, and dark out. josh stared upwards, eyes squinted and breathing sighs. he had to make it home, but it seemed he missed the bus, hand going up to brush through bleach-burned hair and highlighter-blue color.

his arms ached, and he was tired- work killed him, almost as much as everything else in the world did. but it was over now, and he just had to think of what he was supposed to do.

his eyes darted to the side once he heard someone walking up, eyes widening a bit. it was a man a little taller than himself- skinnier, smaller, and gorgeous. eyes soft chocolate and welled up with some sort of exhausted frustration, lips large and plump, cheeks smooth and sculpted to show a small pout. but as soon as they met eyes, the upset expression was gone; in its place, a smile.

a smile at josh.

josh’s heart immediately beat; hard, fast, pumping blood through his veins until he was sure it would pop and leak from every old opening of his skin. he was sure just the smile on this person’s lips could give josh a heart attack.

“tyler.”

josh tilted his head, turning to look at- “tyler, huh?”, before turning his full body and smiling softly back. “josh.”

tyler’s smile now came complete with the tip of his tongue poking through crooked, white teeth.

“i missed the bus.” josh confessed finally, glancing out at the empty street, noticing eyes on them but deciding to ignore them.

tyler gave a hum. “i don’t have my bus pass anyways.” he sighed.

josh looked out at the people on the street. he was sure one of them had wanted to mug josh, but the thought of tyler being assaulted out here made him pause. not just that; tyler was…

well, josh didn’t want to lose the chance to meet someone new in this hell hole already.

“i can walk you home, where do you live?”

tyler’s look of shock made josh give a snort, lips perking up into a bit of a wider smile.

tyler’s ears took on a soft pink tint when tyler mumbled his address, and josh hummed. 

“i live just a couple blocks over. we’re going the same way, so?”

tyler licked his lips, looking out at the sky, before nodding. “the company would be nice.”

josh’s anxiety over tyler saying no officially quelled, the man grinned. “good, come on then.”

josh wondered what they looked like together. it seemed like everyone they walked by thought they looked nice.

he knew they both were and weren’t far from home- a mile, a little more?

on bus, they would have been there in no time- actually, josh was almost happy they weren’t on the bus. imagine only having a few minutes to talk to tyler.

“so, how long have you lived here?” josh asked, making sure to keep his strides around the same pace as tyler. 

tyler’s noise made josh’s heart flutter.

“a while.” tyler started, before sighing. “years, and years. my whole life, actually.”

josh itched at a wound hidden under his thin jacket. “wow, really? me too. how have we never met.”

tyler looked over, with an unreadable expression. “well, if you’ve lived here your whole life, what’s your favorite bar?”

josh snorted. “the basement. final answer.”

“good choice.” tyler paused. “i like 16 bit. it has an arcade.”

josh couldn’t hold back a giggle.

“i like that place too.”

they both walked in comfortable silence for only a second.

“you ever think of moving?” josh asked finally, after a little bit of joking around and chattering.

tyler sighed. “i do, actually. you can’t make music here.”

josh nodded. “i work at the music shop.” josh added. 

tyler’s eyes brightened. “really? what do you play?”

“drums, a bit of trumpet. anything percussion and i pick it up fast. you?”

tyler gave a giggle. “keyboard. i sing. ukulele, bass, guitar. i’m a mixed bag.”

josh somehow didn’t feel inadequate like he usually did when people talk about higher achievements than his. 

“los angeles.” josh interjected after their conversation evolved into music, their tastes, what they would play if they were to play music together, lyrics of songs tyler had written.

tyler blinked a bit. “really? you know, i don’t think i could pick. there’s so many wonderful places. i don’t want to be tied down yet.”

josh paused. anxiety pushed at his stomach; when he was younger, he had never wanted to think about that. moving from place to place sounded awful, and the thought of meeting new people every time made it even worse.

but doing it with tyler actually made him less anxious about the thought.

they had just met, but josh felt like he had known tyler all his life.

maybe their souls had.

“you know.” josh finally said. “we should get together and see about making music together.”

tyler whirred.

“that would be great. i can show you my writings.”

josh let out a breathless noise, before looking up when the sky boomed above them. “a storm?”

“soon…” tyler sighed, before smiling. “we should get home before the rain.”

josh nodded, looking up at the street signs. they were too close to tyler’s home.

josh never really wanted this night to end.

he stopped when they ended up in front of tyler’s apartment, looking up at the stairs.

“you’ll be okay on your own?”

tyler looked up too, before nodding. “yeah. here, i’ll give you my number.”

josh watched as tyler fumbled a bit, adding his number to josh’s phone.

josh finally gave a noise.

“hey, so… i feel like i learned a lot about you during this walk. actually, feel like i’ve known you my entire life. uh… could... “ he hesitated, cheeks turning red.

tyler’s eyes widened, and josh felt more anxiety coil and burst in his stomach.

josh needed tyler, just as much as he needed everything he did to himself.

but tyler was better than sharp steel, and made him feel good in a different way.

tyler smiled, and josh felt like he was going to explode.

“i feel like i’ve known you my whole life too.”

josh leaned forward, wanting nothing but to feel their lips press together.

tyler bridges the gap, and josh felt fireworks and electric shocks.

josh’s hand went up to cup one of tyler’s cheeks, other resting gently on his hip.

josh shivered when he felt tyler’s hands hold onto him too, and shivered more when the rain started and the sky itself dipped down to kiss their skin and give them its blessing.

pain was nonexistent with this not-stranger stranger, and if josh were to be broken down and completely stripped of his ability to escape this god forsaken town, he’d be alright if he was with tyler.

tyler’s eyes were magical, and josh nearly lost himself in them.

“it’s raining.” tyler said, and josh nodded dumbly.

“do you just want to come in and stay with me?” tyler continued when josh didn’t get what he meant.

josh blushed.

“it would probably be safer than walking home alone in the rain, this late…”

tyler smiled, and josh hoped he didn’t notice anything wrong with josh that put this perfect, amazing relationship to a halt.

josh hurried to follow tyler up to his apartment, stumbling and hearing the squeaks of their sneakers against slick, shitty rock steps.

tyler pulled josh into the apartment as soon as the door was opening, giggles melting into josh’s as they continued to move together, now as one.

josh didn’t want to take it to far, but he wanted to touch against tyler’s entire body, dip his fingers into tyler’s soul and drink him up, until they could be one and josh could feel whole.

he wondered if tyler also wanted to feel whole, and also thought josh could do it.

tyler’s eyes begged josh for something, but josh didn’t want to just listen to eyes.

he leaned forward, happy when tyler allowed another kiss.

his hands moved to hover at the edge of tyler’s shirt.

“please.” he whispered, wanting nothing more than to become one with tyler.

tyler whispered back, lips still pressed against josh’s; 

“go ahead.”

bruises on creamy skin left by needy teeth, gently caresses against aching wounds and whispers of comfort.

tyler understood the scars on josh’s body, and josh understands the ones on tyler’s soul.

josh didn’t feel empty inside tyler, not like he did with anyone else.

he reached down to suck and bite at tyler’s body, sucking out rotten bone marrow and pushing in cleaned and healed meat right back.

tyler’s body cleaned josh, and josh tried his hardest to give back.

even when josh and tyler are emptied, inside tyler and all over josh’s body, they stay hooked as one, asleep in the arms of each other.

josh was awakened, cleaned, and pulled into perfect arms.

escape was a certainty, it always had been, but now escape looked pure.

tyler was his escape, but tyler would also be with him in his escape.

tyler’s beautiful voice singing pain and anguish to everyone to be scrubbed clean at home with joshuah.

josh thought it sounded perfect.


	2. Gaping Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhh anyways all done, I love them
> 
> Idk if this universe needs a continuation, but it was really fun to write

tyler had a bad day, but seriously when wasn’t it a bad day in this town? he finally clocked out- god finally, he had been stuck there all day with barely any reprieve- but it wasn’t like he was going to catch the bus.

anger caused him to crumple the bus pass in his hands, before tossing it into the gutter where tyler was sure he belonged too. he wanted to vomit, but he pushed back the urge.

he headed toward the bus stop anyways, even with skin crawling and not a way to get home. he guessed he could walk, but it was dark and the air was so humid he was sure it was going to rain.

his heart stopped when he saw someone standing dejectedly in the pale moonlight, waiting for a bus that wasn’t going to come until the next morning.

tyler walked up behind the strange, blue beacon, before the stranger was looking back at him.

a smile immediately stretched over tyler’s lips- this stranger was… wow.

this stranger was handsome, beautiful beyond belief. blue clinging to tan, mocha eyes that tyler could swim inside. there was something mesmerizing about them, like magnets that begged for tyler to get closer.

they looked like they were slowly dying right in front of him, though.

“tyler.” tyler finally said, needing the stranger to know.

josh, was the answer. josh, was a beautiful name.

both uncommon and common at the same time, but this person was definitely of the uncommon breed.

“i missed the bus.” josh said, and tyler knew it, but he didn’t tell josh that.

“i don’t have my have my bus pass anyways.” tyler tried to make josh feel better, and josh’s reaction seemed good to tyler.

getting home was going to be hard, and he was a little worried about being alone.

plus, he wanted more time with josh.

so when josh offered to walk tyler home, it was a pleasant surprise- still a shock, however.

but tyler didn’t want to be a burden on this stranger. his address spilled from his lips- trust, trust already?

but josh said they lived close to each other, and they were going the same way, and out of everyone tyler had met in this town; it was josh that immediately made his guard drop.

tyler let josh walk with him, stories and ideas spilling from his soul as he dumped the words all over josh and watched the other soak everything in.

after about 7 blocks, tyler’s hand brushed against josh’s.

tyler’s cheeks burst into flames, tongue getting heavy in his mouth. sparks, sparks flying off of josh and burning his skin in a way that made tyler’s heart ache for more.

josh’s laughter broke the air, and tyler forced himself to keep his cool as the bright noise swirled around him and kissed against his skin.

tyler giggled back.

but tyler could see something sad in josh’s expression, and he knew what it was. he felt it too, settled right behind his heart and poisoning his blood.

they were the same.

but there was something else tyler knew, as soon as they were there, together.

tyler was careful with his heart, especially since he had been so careless with it at the beginning blossoms of love in high school.

his heart ached for josh, though. tyler was in deep already, feeling the hammering in his chest, heart wanting to leap into josh’s arms and melt the two together into one frothing, pure mess of teeth, limbs, spit, and blood.

tyler felt need swelling inside his belly, and the emptiness was suddenly two-fold; the empty space in his soul had found what would fill it, and it was screaming for it, screaming for josh’s soul to nestle deep into the cracks, deep into the gaping wound in tyler’s chest and fill him.

music cemented them together, and tyler was so thankful that they had that in common. leaving the town to travel the world, bringing music to every person who needed it, was tyler’s dream.

when tyler left his raw and bleeding feelings out for everyone to hear, to survive with, to  _ feel _ along with him, josh could be there.

josh could kiss away bruises and scars, inside and out.

tyler knew josh’s touch was magic, and it was all he wanted. his cheeks heated up, and josh noticed- he knew josh noticed, because josh looked over and gave this soft, amused smile that made tyler’s inside burn, melting off the darkness clinging to bones and guts.

tyler giggled.

tyler felt sad when they did finally end up in front of tyler’s apartment, the clouds above them shuddering in almost anticipation.

tyler looked over at josh, bruises from unruly patrons and fights with other employees gently lifting off of his fragile, paper skin. josh’s eyes did that.

“you’ll be okay on your own?” josh asked, and tyler’s insides churn tighter, so close to ripping open and spilling all the reasons why tyler couldn’t be alone, why he needed josh to stay, why josh really shouldn’t leave tonight, not tonight.

“yeah.” is what tyler said instead. “here, i’ll give you my number.”

josh’s hands are calloused, tyler noticed, when they brush against each other again as josh transferred the phone from his hands to tyler’s own.

tyler’s hands shook; nervous, body whining for josh’s heat, for josh’s mouth to devour him and spit him out completely clean. tyler finally finished putting the phone number in, giving the phone to josh.

and then josh said what tyler had felt, deep inside.

“-feel like i’ve known you my entire life-”

tyler’s eyes widened, lungs failing to function for just a second.

josh’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of red.

tyler smiled.

“i feel like i’ve known you my whole life, too.” he could never lie to josh, no. josh was something beautiful, some deep part of even himself, actually; they felt like two halves of the same whole, two puzzle pieces that fit neatly together.

something beautiful and pure that couldn’t be tainted, tyler wouldn’t let it be.

josh leaned forward, and tyler was sure his needs were spilling from him out of the gaping wound in his skull, the need for josh’s love, for josh’s touch, for-

tyler didn’t think a moment longer. he needed this gap between them gone, so he moved the rest of the way, lips on lips, teeth grazing against skin, feral need washing over him.

it was heat, it was purity and perfection, it was going to bruise his lips and he wanted it to. he wanted both of them to look messy, just for each other, only for each other.

tyler felt a hand on his cheek, a hand on his hip, and his own hands couldn’t fight the need to touch josh’s body. he sipped too, from the pool of josh, the darkened and exhausted soul that could find rest in all of tyler’s empty spaces.

tyler siphoned off josh’s torn pieces, liquid pain and rotting flesh, and stitched it together bit by bit.

the rain blessed them, washing away grime on their skin and letting them get even closer.

tyler couldn’t feel sick here; sickness didn’t exist.

tyler finally pulled away, even though he never wanted to. 

“it’s raining.” he mentioned, and josh’s little nod was all tyler needed to know josh didn’t understand.

“do you just want to come in and stay with me?”

josh needed a little bit of coaxing, but tyler needed josh to know he wasn’t a burden.

and he needed josh to stay with him.

skin on skin, sweat and rain glistening off of them, tyler needed josh. needed everything from him, needed to be whole.

giggles, happiness; tyler was happy, happy with josh. 

josh’s hands on his body made tyler shiver.

“please.” josh’s voice whispered, and tyler needed it too.

tyler pressed his words against josh’s lips. “go ahead.”

tyler’s bruises were replaced, josh’s mouth leaving ones he wanted, needed on his skin.

josh’s scars hurt, but tyler understood.

tyler could heal josh too.

josh cleaned him, filled him, kept tyler’s body in a state of  _ good _ .

escape was a certainty, but now escape was pure.

tyler had josh, and josh had tyler.

tyler whispered to josh hours later, when neither of them were awake enough, when both of them were soft and being pulled down into a shared dream of happiness;

“we’ll be okay.”

josh’s lips opened, and tyler wanted to kiss them just one more time.

“i believe you.”

tyler fell asleep with lips on lips, and he believed himself.


End file.
